TCU's Gary Patterson: Bye week was crucial for game planning

Gary Patterson addressed the media again Tuesday at his weekly press luncheon. After a sixteen day layoff, TCU returns to the field on Saturday at 11 a.m. against SMU.

In addition to game planning for the SMU offense coached by June Jones and Hal Mumme, Patterson has also used the off week to game plan for future conference foes.

"In practice, we've been able to work on things that Kansas and Oklahoma do," Patterson said. "We also worked on Oklahoma State and the things that they do other than just lining up in four wide and throwing the football."

"We worked on their specialty personnel groups, so we aren't wasting our practice in game week. You're getting your kids ready," Patterson said. "Those things are critical. You're talking about a sixty play game. If you can play well, you're taking them out of those kinds of personnel groups. It may only be 12 plays, but if you don't prepare well you may get 30 plays [of a specialty formation]."

Patterson, who enters his 16th year as a coach at TCU, said he was pleased that his team moved past the feeling of feeling sorry for themselves-then again, he said his players did not have a choice.

"Oh yeah that [feeling] was after one day. They don't get a choice in that matter," Patterson joked.

At some point in time, players have to take ownership and decide that they will not allow losing to happen. Patterson said that has been a strength of his program; TCU has missed a bowl game just one time in Patterson's tenure.

"You've got to make sure you understand, [losing] is a disease. It spreads," Patterson said. "If you're not careful, you get to where you tolerate it. Losing cannot be tolerated. Even in 2004 (TCU's only losing season under Patterson) we didn't tolerate it. That's why we were able to turn that thing around quickly in 2005."

Patterson said that the key word that he teaches is "ownership."

"Ownership is the most important word. More than leadership to me. This is my house. This is my team. This is how we do things," Patterson said.

The TCU and SMU game will be televised Saturday on Fox Sports 1.

~You can follow Alex Apple on Twitter @AlexAppleDFW, and be sure to follow @SportsDayDFW.~

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